The present invention relates to a mobile TV telephone system (hereinafter referred to as the mobile videophone system) comprising a wearable radio communication device portable by being worn on a finger, an arm or the neck of the user and a mobile telephone device, and a mobile videophone system further comprising a headset.
With the recent progress of the techniques related to the mobile telephone, the ownership and the use of what is called the mobile videophone is expected to extend in the near future. A simple mobile telephone device capable of transmitting/receiving a still image or an image sequence at the rate of several frames per second is already available.
The mobile telephone device of this type includes a voice communication unit, an imaging unit and a display unit built in its body. In order to view the image received from the other party displayed on the display unit of the mobile telephone device, therefore, the user of the mobile telephone device is required to place the mobile telephone device at a distance from his head. Also when picking up an image of the surrounding landscape or a person by the imaging unit and sending it to the other party, the user is required to place the mobile telephone device at a distance from his head. In the speech made using a mobile telephone device placed at a distance from his head, the user is required to speak loudly.
For making speech with an ordinary pitch of the voice, on the contrary, the user is required to attach the mobile telephone device closely to his ear or mouth. In such a case, however, the user cannot view the image of the other party displayed on the display unit of the mobile telephone device nor can he pick up the image of the surrounding scene with the imaging unit of the mobile telephone device.
As described above, the conventional mobile telephone device has the problem that the image of the other party cannot be checked at the same time as the speech or picking up the image of the surrounding scene.
The object of the present invention is to provide a mobile videophone system in which the user of a mobile telephone device can check the image of the other party and pick up the image of the surrounding scene while at the same time making speech with the other party, a method of communication using the system, and a wearable radio communication device, a mobile telephone device and a headset making up the system.
In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a mobile videophone system comprising a mobile telephone device and a wearable radio communication device, wherein the mobile telephone device includes a communication unit, a voice input/output unit, a first local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the wearable radio communication device, and a first control unit for causing the communication unit to effect image and voice communication with the other party through a network, causing the voice received from the other party to be output from the voice input/output unit, causing the voice input through the voice input/output unit to be transmitted to the other party by the communication unit, causing the image received from the other party to be transmitted to the wearable radio communication device by the first local radio communication unit, and causing the image received from the wearable radio communication device to be transmitted to the other party, and wherein the wearable radio communication device includes a second local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the mobile telephone device, an imaging unit, a display unit, and a second control unit for causing the image received from the mobile telephone device by the second local radio communication unit to be displayed on the display unit, causing the image obtained by the imaging unit to be transmitted to the mobile telephone device by the second local radio communication unit, and causing an instruction for controlling the mobile telephone device to be transmitted by the second local radio communication unit.
With this system, the user can effect the bi-directional voice communication with the other party by means of the mobile telephone device and also the bi-directional image communication with the other party by means of the wearable radio communication device, and therefore can enjoy the videophone communication with the other party in a relaxed posture. Another advantage is that the mobile telephone device can be controlled conveniently by sending an instruction signal from the wearable radio communication device.
The present invention further provides a mobile videophone system comprising a mobile telephone device, a wearable radio communication device and a headset, wherein the mobile telephone device includes a communication unit, a first local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the wearable radio communication device and the headset, and a first control unit for causing the communication unit to effect image and voice communication with the other party through a network, causing the voice received from the other party to be transmitted to the headset by the first local radio communication unit, causing the voice received from the headset by the first local radio communication unit to be transmitted to the other party by the communication unit, causing the image received from the other party to be transmitted to the wearable radio communication device by the first local radio communication unit, and causing the image received from the wearable radio communication device by the first local radio communication unit to be transmitted to the other party, and wherein the wearable radio communication device includes a second local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the mobile telephone device, an imaging unit, a display unit, and a second control unit for causing the image received from the mobile telephone device by the second local radio communication unit to be displayed on the display unit, and causing the image obtained by the imaging unit to be transmitted to the mobile telephone device by the second local radio communication unit, and wherein the headset includes a third local radio communication unit for effecting bi-directional radio communication with the mobile telephone device, a voice input/output unit, and a third control unit for causing the voice received from the mobile telephone device by the third local radio communication unit to be output by the voice input/output unit, and causing the voice input through the voice input/output unit to be transmitted to the mobile telephone device by the third local radio communication unit.
With this system, even in the case where the mobile telephone device is put in a bag, for example, the user can make bi-directional speech with the other party by means of the headset and also can establish bi-directional image communication with the other party by means of the wearable radio communication device.
The present invention further provides a communication method wherein the mobile telephone device is such that the image and voice communication is effected with the other party through a network, the voice received from the other party is output from a voice input/output unit, the voice input through the voice input/output unit is transmitted to the other party, the image received from the other party is transmitted to a wearable radio communication unit having an imaging unit and a display unit by local radio communication, and the image is received by local radio communication from the wearable radio communication device and transmitted to the other party, and wherein the wearable radio communication device is such that an image is received from the mobile telephone device by local radio communication and displayed on the display unit, the image is picked up by the imaging unit and transmitted to the mobile telephone device by local radio communication, and an instruction signal for controlling the mobile telephone device is transmitted by local radio communication.
The present invention further provides a communication method wherein the mobile telephone device is such that the image and voice communication is effected with the other party through a network, the voice received from the other party is transmitted to a headset having a voice input/output unit by local radio communication, the voice is received from the headset by local radio communication and transmitted to the other party, the image received from the other party is transmitted to a wearable radio communication unit having an imaging unit and a display unit by local radio communication, and the image is received by local radio communication from the wearable radio communication device and transmitted to the other party, wherein the wearable radio communication device is such that an image is received from the mobile telephone device by local radio communication and displayed on the display unit, and an image is picked up by the imaging unit and transmitted to the mobile telephone device by local radio communication, and wherein the headset is such that a voice is received from the mobile telephone device by local radio communication and output from the voice input/output unit, and the voice input through the voice input/output unit is transmitted to the mobile telephone device by local radio communication.
In a preferred form, the mobile telephone device, with the arrival of an incoming call, establishes a first communication link for effecting local radio communication with the wearable radio communication device and a second communication link for effecting local radio communication with the headset, transmits an incoming call arrival announcing signal to the headset through the second communication link, and performs the processing for line connection with the other party upon receipt of an incoming call response instruction through the first communication link through the wearable radio communication device.
The present invention further provides a mobile telephone device comprising a communication unit, a voice input/output unit, a local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication including the image data communication with a wearable radio communication device having an imaging unit and a display unit, and a control unit for causing the communication unit to effect image and voice communication with the other party through a network, causing the voice received from the other party to be output from the voice input/output unit, causing the voice input through the voice input/output unit to be transmitted to the other party by the communication unit, causing the image received from the other party to be transmitted to the wearable radio communication device by the local radio communication unit, causing the image received from the wearable radio communication device to be transmitted to the other party by the communication unit, and causing a control operation to be performed by the local radio communication unit as instructed according to an instruction signal received from the wearable radio communication device.
The present invention further provides a mobile telephone device comprising a communication unit, a local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the wearable radio communication device having an imaging unit and a display unit and a headset having a voice input/output unit, and a control unit for causing the communication unit to effect image and voice communication with the other party through a network, causing the voice received from the other party to be transmitted to the headset by the local radio communication unit, causing the voice received from the headset by the local communication unit to be transmitted to the other party by the communication unit, causing the image received from the other party to be transmitted to the wearable radio communication device by the local radio communication unit, and causing the image received from the wearable radio communication device by the local radio communication unit to be transmitted to the other party by the communication unit.
In a preferred form, the control unit, with the arrival of an incoming call, establishes, by the local radio communication unit, a first communication link for effecting local radio communication with the wearable radio communication device and a second communication link for effecting local radio communication with the headset, sends an incoming call arrival announcing signal to the headset through the second communication link and, upon receipt of an incoming call response instruction through the first communication link from the wearable radio communication device, performs the processing for line connection with the other party.
The present invention further provides a wearable radio communication device comprising an imaging unit, a display unit, a local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with a mobile telephone device, and a control unit for causing the image received from the mobile telephone device by the local radio communication unit to be displayed on the display unit, causing the image obtained by the imaging unit to be transmitted to the mobile telephone device by the local radio communication unit, and causing an instruction signal for controlling the mobile telephone device to be transmitted by the local radio communication unit.
In a preferred form, the wearable radio communication device further comprises a voice input/output unit, and the control unit outputs from the voice input/output unit the voice received from the mobile telephone device by means of the local radio communication unit and transmits the voice input through the voice input/output unit, to the mobile telephone device by means of the local radio communication unit.
In another preferred form, the wearable radio communication device comprises an operating unit and the control unit generates the instruction signal in accordance with the operation of the operating unit.
In this case, the control unit transmits the instruction signal for giving an instruction for access to the site in the network, to the mobile telephone device in accordance with the operation of the operating unit, and receives and displays on the display unit the response from the site through the mobile telephone device.
In still another preferred form, the control unit receives the information displayed on the display unit of the mobile telephone device from the mobile telephone device and displays it on the display unit of the wearable radio communication unit.
In yet another preferred form, the mobile telephone device can establish a first communication link for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the wearable radio communication device and a second communication link for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the headset having a voice input/output unit, and also can effect the bi-directional local radio communication including the voice data communication through the second communication link.
In this preferred form, for example, the mobile telephone device has the first repeating function for transmitting the information received from the wearable radio communication device through the first communication link, to the headset through the second communication link, and the control unit transmits to the headset an instruction signal for controlling the headset, through the first and second communication links utilizing the first repeating function.
In another preferred form, the headset comprises a memory for storing the voice data and an audio reproduction unit for reading the voice data from the memory and performing the audio reproduction processing for outputting the voice data as a sound from the voice input/output unit, and the control unit transmits the instruction signal in the form of a signal for instructing the headset to perform the audio reproduction processing.
Further, the mobile telephone device may have the second repeating function for transmitting the information received from the headset through the second communication link, to the wearable radio communication device through the first communication link, in which case the control unit receives the information from the headset through the second and first links utilizing the second repeating function.
In this preferred form, the headset preferably comprises a memory for storing the voice data, an audio reproduction unit for reading the voice data from the memory and performing the audio reproduction processing for outputting the voice data as a sound from the voice input/output unit, and a device for outputting a list of the information stored in the memory. Also, the wearable radio communication device further comprise an operating unit and the control unit receives from the headset the list of the information stored in the memory and displays it on the display unit, and transmits to the headset an instruction to perform the audio reproduction processing for the voice data as instructed by the operation of the operating unit.
The wearable radio communication device of various forms described above is preferably a radio communication device of wrist watch type wearable on the wrist of the user.
In still another preferred form, the wearable radio communication device has the function as a wrist watch, and displays the present time when the image or the information obtained by data communication is not displayed on the display unit.
The present invention further provides a headset comprising a memory for storing music information, an audio reproduction unit for reproducing the music information stored in the memory and outputting the music information as a sound, a local radio communication unit for effecting the local bi-directional radio communication with a mobile telephone device capable of effecting the local bi-directional radio communication with a wearable radio communication device, and a control unit for causing the local radio communication unit to receive the music information from the mobile telephone device and instructing the audio reproduction unit to reproduce the music information stored in the memory, in accordance with the instruction signal received from the wearable radio communication device through the mobile telephone device.
The memory included in the headset may be a semiconductor memory removable from the headset.